To carry my toddler on my shoulders sometimes?

[Kokapetl]

Because I get lots of funny looks and am wondering if this is wrong?

DD will be 2 in a few months and walks quite well so I try to encourage her to walk as much as possible but she does get tired and asks for a pick up. Carrying her on my shoulders is so much easier than on my hip, particularly as my hips are not fully recovered from pregnancy.

Pushing the buggy and walking with her is very tricky especially when I also have older DC. Our little town has a historic centre which is very buggy unfriendly (think tiny shops, steep cobbled roads, alleys with steps being the most direct route). So I prefer not to use it.

She is safe and happy riding on my shoulders. I see men carrying kids this way quite a bit. What am I missing?

I've done it loads -I shoulder carried my 6 year old round Disney for a while years ago! She was knackered and it was the easiest way.

I do it all the time. My toddler loves it!

I hate it see this.. what if you trip and fall??!!!'

Hate to see this

I do this all the time, I never really thought about it.
My hips are shot as well

Get a toddler friendly soft structured carrier like an Ergo. You'll have your hands free then.
She's still only very little so will need/want the comfort and security of being carried and cuddled

Looks cumbersome and dangerous to me.

I do it all the time with my 3 yr old, we're at the 'doesn't really need a buggy for a normal strol but can't always be arsed to walk' stage and she's too heavy to carry in my hip for long.

I used to do this. I don't think it would be any worse or more likely to fall than carrying a child on your hip. You can carry a child much further on your shoulders too - good skill to have if you get caught out with no buggy and a child who is just too tired to make it home. Piggy backs also good when they are a bit older :-)

Right of passage...both to ride on shoulders and carry your own children on your shoulders.
I remember being on my father's shoulders and I hope my son will remember being on my shoulders, makes me slightly nostalgic!

I used to do it years ago with DS now26 the little bugger used to give up walking and i often shoulder carried or piggy backed him

As long as holding legs or a hand then it's fine. I cringe when see small children on shoulders and the adult is relying on them to hold on by themselves, would be so easy for child to get suddenly distracted by something and let go falling backwards head first.

As long as you're holding them, I think it's fine, but I hate seeing toddlers just gripping, or worse, not holding on at all. If they get distracted and slip, it's quite a height to fall onto a concrete pavement.

DH does it with our kids sometimes. I have no problem with it at all. He knows they are secure and is looking after them. I don't do it personally as I find it uncomfortable but I don't see the problem

We have a Piggy Back Rider for DS. It's a harness which we wear with a plate he stands on. He then wears a harness which clips on to our harness at the shoulders.

Like this:

Try again!

YANBU. That is all

Much better for your back and hips.

Let those who've never tried it disapprove all they like.

My DP carries our 13 month old on his shoulders. She's having a blast and im two steps behind having heart palpatations.

YANBU honestly just ignore judgey looks, people will judge you for everything anyway so just do what you're comfortable with.

I wouldn't judge anyone who does it but I wouldn't do it myself, I just don't feel it's safe. That could be because I once saw someone 'forget' they had their kid on their shoulders and they walked through a door knocking the kid backwards as their face hit the wall/doorframe. Kid was upset but physically okay.

I take my 2yr4mth year old to and from nursery like this - I encourage him to walk, but it would take bloody ages if he walked all the way, and there are steps involved so the buggy is a huge hassle.

He's way too heavy to carry any distance any other way. If you're holding onto them and aren't going to crack their head on anything I don't see the issue? He loves the vantage point too!

I did borrow and try a big sling when she got too big for the wrap one. She was too wriggly and it was too uncomfortable for both of us. I'll have to have a think about that piggy back rider thing- never seen anything like it! She'd probably like it.

I do hold her hand, both whenever possible. She'd probably be OK without (she loves going on big swings and never falls off!) but I wouldn't risk it!

SemiNormal - I winced reading that - ouch! Glad they were ok. Luckily there's zero chance I'd forget I had mine on my shoulders - he's way too heavy!